53 International NGOs Warn Israel Registration Measures Could Hinder Aid

International humanitarian organizations operating in the occupied Palestinian territory warn that recent registration measures imposed by Israel threaten to halt the operations of international NGOs (INGOs) at a time when civilians face acute and widespread humanitarian needs, despite the ceasefire in Gaza.

On December 30, 37 international NGOs received official notification that their registrations would expire on December 31, 2025. This triggers a 60-day period after which the international NGOs would be required to cease their operations in Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.

International NGOs are integral to the humanitarian response, working in partnership with the United Nations and Palestinian civil society organizations to provide life-saving assistance on a large scale. The United Nations, the Humanitarian Country Team, and donor governments have repeatedly affirmed that international NGOs are essential to humanitarian and development operations and have urged Israel to reverse its decision.

Despite the ceasefire, humanitarian needs remain extreme. In Gaza, one in four families survives on a single meal a day. Winter storms have displaced tens of thousands of people, leaving 1.3 million in urgent need of shelter. International NGOs provide more than half of the food aid in Gaza, manage or support 60% of field hospitals, implement nearly three-quarters of shelter and non-food item activities, and provide full treatment for children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

Their withdrawal would lead to the closure of health facilities, the cessation of food distributions, the collapse of shelter supply chains, and the disruption of vital care. In the West Bank, ongoing military raids and settler violence continue to cause displacement. Any further restrictions imposed on international NGOs would severely reduce the reach and continuity of life-saving assistance at a critical time.

Recent attempts to assess the impact of delisting international NGOs using selective indicators fail to capture how humanitarian assistance is actually delivered. Humanitarian access must be evaluated based on the capacity to ensure that civilians receive the appropriate assistance, in the right place, and at the right time.

International NGOs operate under strict donor-imposed compliance frameworks, including audits, counter-terrorism financing controls, and due diligence obligations in line with international standards. More than 500 humanitarian workers have been killed since October 7, 2023.

International NGOs cannot transfer sensitive personal data to a party to the conflict, as this would violate humanitarian principles, the duty to protect staff, and data protection obligations. False narratives delegitimize humanitarian organizations, endanger staff, and undermine the delivery of assistance.

This is not a technical or administrative issue, but a deliberate political choice with foreseeable consequences. If the registrations expire, the Israeli government will obstruct large-scale humanitarian assistance. Humanitarian access is not optional, conditional, or political. It is a legal obligation under international humanitarian law. This decision would also set a dangerous precedent by extending Israeli authority over humanitarian operations in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, in contradiction with the internationally recognized legal framework governing the territory and the role of the Palestinian Authority.

We call on the Government of Israel to immediately suspend delisting procedures and lift measures obstructing humanitarian assistance. We urge donor governments to use all available means to secure the suspension and reversal of these actions. Independent, principled humanitarian operations must be protected to ensure that civilians can receive the urgent assistance they need.

The role of international NGOs is irreplaceable in all humanitarian sectors:

• Health: International NGOs manage or support approximately 60% of field hospitals in Gaza. Their removal would lead to the immediate closure of about one in three health facilities.
• Food security: International NGOs provided more than half of the food aid in 2024, including the majority of cooked meal distribution points.
• Shelter: International NGOs have implemented nearly three-quarters of the activities related to shelter and non-food items. Approximately 600,000 shelter items are currently in their supply chains.
• Water, hygiene and sanitation (WASH): International NGOs provide 42% of all WASH services, including prevention and response to outbreaks of acute watery diarrhea.
• Nutrition: International NGOs support the five stabilization centers treating children with severe acute malnutrition, representing 100% of the treatment capacity in Gaza.
• Mine action: International NGOs provide more than half of the funding dedicated to the clearance of explosive remnants of war. Their withdrawal would lead to capacity reductions of up to 100%.
• Education: International NGOs manage or support approximately 30% of emergency education activities, which already only reach a limited portion of the school-age population.

Signatories

1. Acs
2. Action Against Hunger (ACF)
3. Action for Humanity
4. ActionAid
5. American Friends Service Committee (AFSC)
6. Amnesty International
7. AOI – Cooperazione e Solidarietà international – Italia
8. CADUS eV
9. Campaign for the Children of Palestine (CCP Japan)
10. CARE Canada
11. CARE International UK
12. Children are Not Numbers
13. Churches for Middle East Peace
14. CISS – Cooperazione Internazionale Sud Sud
15. Council for Arab-British Understanding (Caabu)
16. DanChurchAid
17. Danish Refugee Counci
18. Diakonia
19. EducAid
20. Emergency NGO
21. Fondation Terre des hommes Lausanne
22. Glia
23. HEKS/EPER – Swiss Church Aid
24. Human Rights Solidarity
25. Humanity & Inclusion – Handicap International
26. INTERPAL
27. Islamic Relief
28. Japan International Volunteer Center (JVC)
29. Doctors of the World – Switzerland
30. Doctors of the World – France
31. Doctors Without Borders
32. Medical Aid for Palestinians
33. Medico International
34. Doctors of the World (MDM – Spain)
35. Mennonite Central Committee
36. Middle East Children’s Alliance
37. NORWAC (Norwegian Aid Committee)
38. Norwegian Church Aid
39. Norwegian People’s Aid
40. Norwegian Refugee Council
41. Oxfam
42. Pax Christi USA
43. Peace Winds Japan
44. Premiere Urgence Internationale
45. Quakers in Britain
46. Solidarités International
47. Terre des Hommes Italy
48. Un Ponte Per
49. United Against Inhumanity
50. Vento di Terra ETS
51. War Child Alliance Foundation
52. War on Want
53. WeWorld-GVC